The Road to Hoenn
by Jumpinsoraa
Summary: Gold travels to Hoenn to meet new Pokemon, battle Gym trainers and make new friends. Note: Discontinued until further notice


**Title:** The Road To Hoenn!

**Author: **Jumpinsoraa

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokémon.

**Chapter 1: Unpleasant ****Encounters ****of the Worst Kind!**

**4 Years after the Masked man episode**

**Location: Hoenn, Petalburg Woods**

A young teenager was making his way to Rustboro city to face his first Hoenn gym leader but he wasn't there yet, the Pokémon trainer and his Pokémon were currently fighting a Zizagoon in the Petalburg woods.

"Good! Finish it Exbo-tackle!"

The fire-type Pokémon rammed his body into the tiny raccoon and made it faint. Gold tossed a great ball at the fainted Pokémon, the ball hit its target and sucked it in.

"Yeah! We did it!" Gold checked his PokéDEX.

_Zizagoon_

_Tiny Raccoon Pokémon_

_HT 1'04" WT 38.6 lbs._

_Zizagoon restlessly wanders everywhere at all times. This Pokémon does so because it is very curious. It becomes interested in anything that it happens to see._

"It seems I've caught a hyperactive Pokémon." Gold grinned. "What should I call you?"

The young Pokémon trainer stroked his chin. _Hmm…aha! _

"Zigzag! Yes, that's perfect!"

Gold put the Pokéball in his utility belt.

"Welcome to the family amigo!"

Suddenly, a thick veil of hazy fog enveloped the entire area, the swirling haze seemed eerily familiar to Gold. The Pokémon trainer's eyes widened in surprise.

"It can't be…" Gold whispered. "…He's lost in time."

Gold's typhlosion, Exbo, growled. The Pokémon's fur bristled. Gold noticed an ominous figure. The mysterious person stood on top of a large tree's thick branches. It leaped off the gnarled tree and landed in the grassy ground with an audible "thump", several feet away from Gold and Exbo. The stranger was wearing a mask.

Gold couldn't help but to curl his hand into a fist. The Pokémon trainer's memories breached his mind's wall and flooded back into his head, like a roaring waterfall.

_**A grinning mask.**_

_**A cruel masked man holding a girl by the throat and an obedient Delibird following his orders.**_

_**Ho-Ho and Lugia.**_

_**Celebi.**_

"_The Mask of Ice!" _Gold said in his thoughts.

The masked man that stood in front of them was wearing The Mask of Ice's mask; a ghoulish-blue mask with demon-like fangs and two slit eyes. The masked man's long-wavy gray hair reached his back; he was dressed in the same exact outfit and dark cloak that the first Mask of Ice wore when he stole Kurt's scroll.

The masked man's height made him look even more threatening.

_He's really tall._

Gold narrowed his eyes and glared at the masked man's grinning mask.

"Are you the Moghonary gym leader, Pryce?" Gold asked, Exbo stood by his friend's side, ready to defend his trainer if the masked man tried something threatening.

The masked man did not reply, he just continued to stare at Gold; the fog seemed to thicken around him.

"You didn't answer my question so please do me a favor and tell me your name."

The masked man ignored him.

_That's it! _The silence was starting to get on Gold's nerves.

"Say something you masked creep!" Gold shouted, his Pokémon uttered a few cries to get the masked man's attention.

"**My identity is none of your concern child." **the masked man hissed, his voice was soft but not pleasant by the least bit, it was dripping with pure malice. **"Tell me your name." **

_Hmm…this masked creep doesn't sound like Pryce but he sure acts like him. Mysterious and creepy._

Gold pointed at himself with his thumb.

"The name's Gold from New Bark Town. Now that I told you my name perhaps you should tell me yours, you know, to make things more fair?"

The masked man tilted his head back and laughed. His laughter sounded creepier than the malice in his voice.

Gold cocked his eyebrow.

"Hey, hey! What's so funny?" Gold demanded.

"**You!" **he said and continued to laugh at the Pokémon trainer.

"What did you say?"

The masked man simply dismissed Gold's question. He slipped his slender hand into his cloaks lone pocket and wrapped it around it around his Pokéball.

"**I shall not allow you to leave these woods!" **the masked man cackled, and he tossed the Pokéball. A crimson light shot of it and it materialized into a fully evolved walrein

"**Ha, ha, ha! You'll be writhing in pain when I'm through with you!" **

The Pokémon trainer "hmphed", he folded his arms on his chest.

"What kind of a coward do you take me for? Your lame threats don't scare me!"

A soft chuckle was the masked man's only reply. He pointed his index finger at Gold.

"Walrein! Crush that brat-use slam!" the masked man ordered the enormous seal Pokémon.

Walrein acknowledged its master's command and proceeded forward to crush the Pokémon trainer.

"Exbo!"

The typhlosion tackled the walrein to the muddy ground before it reached Gold and he bit it in the neck but the attack wasn't very effective, walrein's thick skin saved it.

"Water gun!" the masked man shouted.

The seal Pokémon opened its mouth, a powerful blast of water shot out of its mouth and struck Exbo in the back. Exbo collapsed in a heap.

_Shoot! That water gun was pretty effective but-_

Tap, tap

Gold felt something slightly tap his shoulder, he turned around to look at the person it was…the masked man!

The masked man swiftly kicked the boy in the stomach before he could react and knocked him to the ground.

_Gah! Grown-ups really know how to pack a punch! _

"You rotten coward!" Gold hissed through his teeth.

The masked man just chuckled and plowed his foot into Gold's unprotected face; the impact knocked a single tooth out of his bloody mouth.

Gold scowled.

"Let me amend that. You're not a coward-you're a yellow bellied chicken!"

The masked man pulled a sharp knife out of his cloak; he lowered it to Gold's bare neck. The Pokémon trainer could feel the cold metal pressed against his skin.

"**Your petty insults won't work on me you brat." **the masked man whispered.

Gold could feel tiny beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"**Any last words before I slit your throat?" **

Gold's frown changed into a slight grin.

"Yeah, just one-ember!"

The typhlosion suddenly stood up, he faced the mask man and opened his mouth. Multiple blasts of fire flew out of his mouth and they all hit the masked man's leg.

"Argh!" the masked man grunted. The flames were devouring his leg. Gold could smell burnt flesh.

_This is my chance to get away from this maniac! _

Gold knocked the knife out of the masked man's hand; he bolted away from him and ran up to his Pokémon.

"**Ngh! Forget the boy for now! Put this fire out-water gun!" **

Walrein butted Exbo out of its way and it fired a blast of pure water at its master leg. The water extinguished the flames but it couldn't get rid of the nasty burn marks in its master's leg.

The Pokémon trainer observed the bleeding-burnt flesh.

_Hm. Yup, this guy is defiantly not Pryce. His leg is bleeding.  
_

Gold remembered Pryce's clever disguise quite well. The man had used an artificial body made of ice to move around (Pryce couldn't walk because he was confined to a wheelchair) and make himself appear taller to his enemies. But this masked man was different.

_He's a real tall guy. Not a short old man in a wheelchair._

The masked man pointed at Exbo.

"**Finish it!" **he shouted.

Walrein nodded, it lunged at the shambling fire-type Pokémon and it sunk its strong fangs into Exbo's neck. Blood spurted out of his neck as Walrein slipped its teeth out of Exbo's flesh.

"Exbo no!" Gold shouted.

The masked man walked up to the seal Pokémon and patted it in the head.

"**You did an excellent job my pet-return." **he said in a calm tone. The Pokéball in the masked man's popped open, Walrein disintegrated into the familiar red light and zipped back to its ball.

The angry Pokémon trainer glared at the masked man.

_Pokémon are not "pets" you heartless jerk!_

"You're gonna pay for that!" Gold yelled. He lunged at the creep.

"**Heh…" **

The masked man avoided the boy and he clamped his hand around the angry trainer's neck.

Gold uttered a "gak" sound.

"…**Hahaha! Pathetic! I can hardly believe you're one of the trainers who defeated the original Mask of Ice!" **the masked man laughed.

Gold tried to pry his hand off but he couldn't because the masked man's grip was just too firm.

"Gah. D…do you want to know what…ack…what I think of the new so-called Mask of Ice?" Gold coughed, he was running out of oxygen way too quickly.

"**Yes kid?" **

"I…I think you're a…ck…a sore loser! The true Mask of Ice would h…have never let a Pokémon injure his leg!" Gold said. "You're nothing but a reckless, cold-blooded, ass-"

The masked man dug his fingernails into Gold's flesh.

"**Is that all you can do? Throw meaningless insults at your enemy?" Heh, you disappoint me." **

The masked man let go of his neck. Gold hit the ground and coughed.

"**I want to kill you so badly…" **

"Why did you let go of my neck then?"

The masked man walked away from Gold, he didn't want this ill-behaved brat to jump him while he was speaking.

"**Because you're not a worthy opponent." **he glanced at the unconscious Exbo. **"You and your Pokémon are weak and to mention brainless." **

The Pokémon trainer smirked.

"Oh you're so wro-"

"**Be silent!" **the masked man cut him off. **"I will let you live, for now. I swear to god that I'll return when you gain more power and I will end you're miserable life with my bare hands!" **

The fog began to envelop the man, like a curtain.

_I won't let you kill me…_

"**I'm the Mask of Ice now! Never forget it!" **

The Mask of Ice vanished in the fog.

"Pfeh! Good riddance, creep."

* * *

**Mask of Ice image: **

http : / / archives. bulbagarden. net / media / upload / e / e0/ Masked _ Man . png

* * *

**Gold's Exbo was severely injured! Will Gold be able to make it to a Pokémon center before his Pokémon bleed to death? Find out in the next chapter! **

**Please review! PLEASE! **


End file.
